Far from the steel skyscrapers of the United States, which overpowered a decade of her life, Sunita Dhairyam now lives on a farm at the periphery of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, unfenced and nestled in a soaring thick canopy. She keenly observes and embraces all that comes with it—roaming elephants, prowling leopards, and the constant conflict between the local communities and the wildlife. For nearly three decades, she has worked to bridge this gap, and to coexist with the “wild” rather than tame them.
The 61-year-old moved back to India in 1995 after working in the US for over 10 years and purchased land adjacent to the Bandipur reserve in Karnataka. What began as a curiosity about wildlife soon turned into compassion when she witnessed farmers reeling from cattle losses due to carnivore attacks.
In 2000, Dr AR Pai, a philanthropic doctor, set up a free clinic on Sunita’s land to provide medical care for the local communities. As more farmers began visiting, Sunita realised that they needed help documenting their cattle losses for government compensation claims. She began assisting them in photographing the attacks. However, she soon discovered that official compensation was slow due to protocols—especially for cattle killed inside protected reserves. Farmers, frustrated, would sometimes take matters into their own hands, killing predators.
Determined to break this cycle, Sunita established the Mariamma Charitable Trust (MCT) in 2007 to provide financial assistance to farmers who lost livestock to carnivores. By ensuring quick compensation, MCT helped ease tensions among the farmers in Masinagudi. Her initiative has now expanded across more than 600 villages surrounding Bandipur, Nagarhole, and parts of Mudumalai Tiger Reserves.
Sunita’s passion for wildlife began early in her life, influenced by her father’s army career, which exposed her to diverse landscapes, including places like Zambia. After her father passed away, she returned to Bengaluru and studied textile design in Delhi. Soon after, she established a studio in Bengaluru and worked as a freelance designer.
However, her life took an unexpected turn in 1984 when she received a managerial role at the Kabini River Lodge, located in the Kakanakote Forest of Nagarhole. For a year, she camped in a tent by the Kabini dam, completely captivated by the wilderness. This experience deepened her commitment to conservation.
To sustain MCT’s work, she launched ‘Temple Tree Designs’ in 2008, a business selling wildlife-themed souvenirs. More recently, she founded ‘Elly Belly,’ a reusable diaper company, to further fund her charitable initiatives.
“My ultimate goal is to support local communities, including tribals, who often struggle with poverty,” she says. Sunita believes that human and wildlife populations must learn to share space rather than resorting to culling of wild boars or relocation of elephants. “This journey has been a spiritual one,” she says. “My work with people and animals has been food for my soul.”
(Edited by Meghna Murali)